Marianne Faithfull's autobiography is a candid retelling of a fascinating life lived to the hilt; the daughter of solidly middle-class parents, she was discovered by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham at the age of 17 (Oldham was only 19 himself) and propelled into a life of acting, rock& roll, heroin abuse, and exotic love affairs, most famously with Mick Jagger. Faithfull is a superlative storyteller, with a wicked eye for detail (Oldham is beaky and angular like some bird of prey...) and a frankly honest approach to her story; she recounts her numerous affairs and drug abuse with a clear-eyed, unapologetic candor and approaches her numerous setbacks (her heroin use led to her living on the street in London's Soho for some months) with a peculiarly British sang-froid. The Stones years, London in the Swinging Sixties, and her late'70s comeback with the harrowing album BROKEN ENGLISH are all depicted with a dry wit and verve that suggest whatever tribulations she has undergone have only strengthened a singular personality. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.